MASTER OF ARTS
Science Education
(Secondary Physics)

How does the universe work? It’s a big question with fascinating answers. As a physics teacher, you can evoke curiosity and awe in your students. Evoke curiosity about how the universe works. Teach physics.

WGU’s teacher education programs were named #1 for combining quality and affordability by the National Council on Teacher Quality.

WGU’s education programs were named #1 for value by the National Council on Teacher Quality.

Overview

The online master’s program for educators to specialize in teaching middle or high school physics.

Physics can be one of the more challenging courses your students will ever take in high school. By making physics interesting and less intimidating to young minds, you can help your students develop their critical thinking skills, strengthen their confidence, and lead them to a better understanding of the world in which they live.

This online master’s degree program in science education can prepare you to teach physics courses at the junior high and high school levels.

The program helps ensure your proficiency in general chemistry; mechanics; waves and optics; electricity and magnetism; space, time and motion; and pre-calculus and calculus.

You will also learn the skills necessary to teach this content to students in junior high, middle school, or high school*.

*The specific grade levels you will be qualified or endorsed to teach will depend on your state.

Eligibility note: WGU's M.A. Science Education programs are for already-licensed teachers who would like to add an endorsement or grade range other than what is already on their current license. The M.A. Science Education (Secondary Physics) program is for certified teachers who already hold a bachelor's degree and wish to add secondary physics to their existing licenses. This program is not intended for:

Graduates who recommend WGU:

97%

Focus your teaching career on physics.

Already-certified teachers who earn a master’s degree in physics education qualify to teach high school physics, as well as teach in junior high and middle schools, depending on grade-level requirements in your state.

A highly relevant curriculum developed by academic experts.

This online Master of Arts in Science Education (Secondary Physics) degree program provides the essential skills, knowledge, and experience you need to teach physics courses to students in middle school, junior high, or high school.

The WGU M.A. Science Education (Secondary Physics) program was designed (and is regularly updated) with input from the experts on our Education Program Council. These respected authorities know exactly what it takes for a graduate to be an outstanding physics teacher.

Key Subject Areas

Your program consists of courses focused on science and physics education, including:

A supported, personalized experience.

WGU is unlike any university you’ve experienced before—in the best possible way! Take a quick look at what we mean:

FacultyLearningAssessmentIn-Classroom ExperienceAlumni Support

Faculty

SUPPORTING YOU: Faculty focused on students.

WGU faculty members have one goal in mind: your success. A Program Mentor is your individually assigned faculty member, providing program guidance and instruction from the day you start to the day you graduate. Course Instructors provide subject-matter instruction and support, typically one-on-one, exactly when you need it.

Learning

YOUR ROADMAP: A personalized learning plan.

Your program is made up of a series of courses, each a personalized journey toward subject mastery. A preassessment provides insight into what you already know. You’ll then learn what you still need to learn, using online learning resources—available 24/7—along with one-on-one or cohort-based faculty instruction.

Assessment

PROVE IT: Show you know your stuff.

WGU measures learning, not time, so each course in your program culminates in an assessment—a test, paper, project, or presentation that allows you to prove what you know. As soon as you’re ready, take the assessment—including the ability to take proctored exams from the comfort of your own home— via webcam, any time of day!

In-Classroom Experience

REAL-WORLD: Experience in a classroom.

Most of your program will be completed online but all teacher licensure programs—and many graduate-level programs for already-licensed teachers—also include the opportunity to observe and practice in a K–12 classroom setting. We’ll help you set everything up at a school near you.

Alumni Support

ALWAYS a Night Owl: WGU for life.

Continued support after you graduate includes many opportunities for professional development and enrichment, career support, and networking. WGU Night Owls may be independent learners, but they also become highly engaged in our active alumni community through apps, groups, and events.

The accreditation you need, plus industry respect and recognition.

One important measure of a degree’s value is the reputation of the university where it was earned. When employers, industry leaders, and academic experts hold your alma mater in high esteem, you reap the benefits of that respect. WGU is a pioneer in reinventing higher education for the 21st century, and our quality has been recognized.

Accredited

WGU's Teachers College is the first exclusively online university to receive accreditation for its degree programs that lead to teacher licensure from the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE, now CAEP).

Paired with WGU's university-wide accreditation by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, these accreditations assure your teaching degree from WGU will be highly respected.

Respected

“After graduating from WGU, and through all the rigor and quality of instruction that I received in the educational field, I was awarded Hawaii District Teacher of the Year in 2012.”

Amoreena Nestman M.A. Teaching – Elementary Education

Recognized

The National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) in 2017 placed WGU’s Teachers College in the top 1% nationwide for the quality of its secondary teacher-preparation programs. This follows several other NCTQ recognitions, including the nation’s #1 best value for teacher education in 2015.

Accredited

Respected

Recognized

Our programs check all the boxes. If this degree is your goal, get started toward becoming a student today—programs start the first of each month.

When we say affordable, we mean it.

This program also requires a one-time fee of $350 to cover the cost of an at-home science lab (billed separately along with the first term's tuition).

Control the cost of your program: Our tuition links cost to time.

By charging per term rather than per credit – and empowering students to accelerate through material they know well or learn quickly – WGU helps students control the ultimate cost of their degrees.

Flat-rate tuition of $3,385 per term links cost to time.

By charging per 6-month term rather than per credit hour—and empowering students to accelerate through material they know well or can learn quickly—WGU helps students control the ultimate cost of their degrees.

There's help if you need it.

Financial aid is available.

Our goal: You graduate with little or no debt.

The average student loan debt of WGU graduates in 2016 (among those who borrowed) was less than half the national average. WGU’s three-pronged approach to keeping your debt low and your return on investment quick: One, provide useful information and advice on responsible borrowing before enrollment. Two, keep tuition low while you're enrolled. And three, offer degree programs that lead to better-paying jobs after graduation.

Degree Cost Comparison*

Online For-Profit University

Other Online Non-Profit University

WGU

Earn your master’s in physics education for about half what you’d pay at another university.

Low tuition and the ability to accelerate make WGU more affordable than most other schools. When you compare us with other programs, WGU’s Master of Arts in Science Education (Secondary Physics) degree program offers a rigorous curriculum with competitive post-graduation results for around half what you'd pay at another university—or even less.

Curriculum that ensures you’ve mastered the skills you’ll need as a physics teacher.

WGU designed this program to be timely, relevant, and practical—in other words, to make sure your M.A. Science Education (Secondary Physics) degree proves you've acquired the advanced knowledge and skills you’ll need as a physics teacher.

Every course focuses on clearly defined competencies you must prove you’ve learned—through tests, papers, projects, or other assessments. Demonstrating mastery is how you pass a course, so learning what it takes to be an outstanding leader is at the heart of WGU’s M.A. Science Education (Secondary Physics) curriculum.

It’s all about real-world relevance, so every moment you spend studying is time well spent. That means what you’re learning in your degree program will be directly applicable when you’re standing at the front of a junior high or high school physics classroom.

Courses in this program.

This program comprises the following courses. You will typically complete them one at a time as you make your way through your program, working with your Program Mentor each term to build your personalized Degree Plan. You’ll work through each course as quickly as you can study and learn the material. As soon as you’re ready, you’ll pass the assessment, complete the course, and move on. This means that you can finish as many courses as you're able in a term at no additional cost.

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Science

Concepts in Science

Concepts in Science for graduates provides already-licensed teachers seeking an additional license or endorsement in science education with an introduction to essential science themes present within and across all science disciplines, including chemistry, physics, biology, and the geosciences. These themes include comprehending the magnitude of the physical and natural world, analyzing and converting measurements, understanding the basic nature and behavior of matter and energy, examining atomic structure, identifying and naming basic types of chemical bonds, and analyzing and interpreting scientific data. Concepts in Science provides a solid foundation for future, in-depth, scientific studies and should be taken prior to any other science content course. There are no prerequisites for this course.

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General Science Content

Integrated Physical Sciences

This course provides students with an overview of the basic principles and unifying ideas of the physical sciences: physics, chemistry, and Earth sciences. Course materials focus on scientific reasoning and practical and everyday applications of physical science concepts to help students integrate conceptual knowledge with practical skills.

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Mathematics Content

Precalculus and Calculus

Precalculus and Calculus provides instruction in precalculus and calculus and applies them to examples found in both mathematics and science. Topics in precalculus include principles of trigonometry, mathematical modeling, and logarithmic, exponential, polynomial, and rational functions. Topics in calculus include conceptual knowledge of limit, continuity, differentiability, and integration.

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Physics Content

Conceptual Physics

Conceptual Physics provides a broad, conceptual overview of the main principles of physics, including mechanics, thermodynamics, wave motion, modern physics, and electricity and magnetism. Problem-solving activities and laboratory experiments provide students with opportunities to apply these main principles, creating a strong foundation for future studies in physics. There are no prerequisites for this course.

Physics: Waves and Optics addresses foundational topics in the physics of waves and optics.Students will study basic wave motion and then apply that knowledge to the study of sound and light with even further applications to optical instruments. They will also learn about thermodynamics and theories governing the physics of gases.

Physics: Electricity and Magnetism

Physics: Electricity and Magnetism addresses principles related to the physics of electricity and magnetism. Students will study electric and magnetic forces and then apply that knowledge to the study of circuits with resistors and electromagnetic induction and waves, focusing on such topics as: Electric charge and electric field, electric currents and resistance, magnetism, electromagnetic induction and Faraday's law, and Maxwell's equation and electromagnetic waves.

Space, Time and Motion

Throughout history, humans have grappled with questions about the origin, workings, and behavior of the universe. This seminar begins with a quick tour of discovery and exploration in physics, from the ancient Greek philosophers on to Galileo Galilei, Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein. Einstein’s work then serves as the departure point for a detailed look at the properties of motion, time, space, matter, and energy. The course considers Einstein’s Special Theory of Relativity, his photon hypothesis, wave-particle duality, his General Theory of Relativity and its implications for astrophysics and cosmology, as well as his three-decade quest for a unified field theory. It also looks at Einstein as a social and political figure, and his contributions as a social and political force. Scientist-authored essays, online interaction, videos, and web resources enable learners to trace this historic path of discovery and explore implications of technology for society, energy production in stars, black holes, the Big Bang and the role of the scientist in modern society.

Physics: Content Knowledge

Physics: Content Knowledge covers the advanced content knowledge that a secondary physics teacher is expected to know and understand. Topics include mechanics, electricity and magnetism, optics and waves, heat and thermodynamics, modern physics, atomic and nuclear structure, the history and nature of science, science technology, and social perspectives.

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Chemistry Content

Chemistry with Lab

Chemistry with Lab for graduates provides already licensed teachers seeking an additional license or endorsement in middle grades science or secondary physics, biological science, or earth science with an introduction to the field of chemistry, the branch of science that studies the composition, structure, properties, and behavior of matter. Designed for those not majoring in chemistry education, this course highlights how the topics covered can be applied within various branches of science. This course provides students with opportunities to examine the electronic structure of atoms, study periodic trends, name chemical compounds, write chemical formulas, determine the structure of molecules, balance chemical reactions, and discover the changing states of matter. Laboratory experiences facilitate the study of matter and the application of laboratory safety and maintenance procedures. Concepts in Science for graduates is a prerequisite for this course.

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Science Education

Science, Technology, and Society

Science, Technology, and Society explores the ways in which science influences and is influenced by society and technology. A humanistic and social endeavor, science serves the needs of ever-changing societies by providing methods for observing, questioning, discovering, and communicating information about the physical and natural world. This course prepares educators to explain the nature and history of science, the various applications of science, and the scientific and engineering processes used to conduct investigations, make decisions, and solve problems. There are no prerequisites for this course.

Science Methods—Secondary Physics

Science Methods—Secondary Physics focuses on teaching methods specific to science for graduate students seeking an endorsement in secondary physics. Course content focuses on the design and teaching of standards-based lessons using the three dimensions of science (science and engineering practices, crosscutting concepts, and disciplinary core ideas) and the appropriate integration of technology into those lessons. Students in this course work within their content areas to evaluate, enhance, and plan appropriate science instruction. This course includes laboratory safety training and certification, which includes safe laboratory practices and procedures for science classrooms and the proper use of personal protective equipment. There are no prerequisites for this course.

Plan to work hard: Program requirements and expectations.

The M.A. Science Education (Secondary Physics) degree program is a mostly online program, with some in-classroom requirements. You will complete your courses by studying and working independently with instruction and support from WGU faculty. You will be expected to complete at least 8 competency units (WGU's equivalent of the credit hour) each 6-month term. (Each course is typically 3 or 4 units.)

The first person you speak with at WGU will be your Enrollment Counselor, an expert in your program who can explain all the requirements and expectations in more detail. You can also read more about each course in the Program Guide.

Home Science Lab. You will be provided with a self-contained laboratory kit—including science equipment, specimens and chemicals—to complete lab experiments at home.

Teacher Work Sample. The final exam requires that you write an original, comprehensive research paper that provides direct evidence of your ability to design and implement a multi-week, standards-based unit of instruction, assess student learning, and then reflect on the learning process.

We offer degrees for in-demand careers that provide the knowledge and skills you need to succeed. Give your résumé the boost it needs!

A top-quality curriculum developed with guidance from education leaders and academic experts.

To ensure our teaching degrees are consistent with the expectations of today’s schools, we develop courses with input from councils composed of nationally recognized experts in education. Council members offer guidance on key competencies to be expected from successful WGU graduates.

How You'll Learn

A different way to learn: Degree programs designed to fit your life—and all the demands on your time.

Professional responsibilities. Family obligations. Personal commitments. At WGU, we understand schedules are tight and often unpredictable for adult students. That’s why we offer a flexible, personalized approach to how education should be. No rigid class schedules. Just a solid, career-focused math teaching program that meshes with your current lifestyle. You'll be challenged. You'll work hard. But if you commit yourself and put in the hours needed, WGU makes it possible for you to earn a highly respected degree as a busy working adult.

Designed for working educators.

WGU's physics education master's degree program is for licensed teachers who want to specialize in teaching physics.

The program is affordable (with no hidden fees), competency-based (accelerate through material you already know), and practical (coursework is current, relevant, and recognized nationwide).

This program is specifically designed for working adults, so you can honor your current work and family responsibilities while completing your coursework.

Competency-Based Education (CBE)

How it impacts you

Efficient

Save time and money by focusing your efforts where they matter the most.

How much do you already know? WGU’s adult students come from different professional backgrounds with varying levels of knowledge and experience. Competency-based education allows you to take the most efficient path to complete your studies.

Flexible

Learn on your own terms.

What works best for you? No two students—or their schedules—are alike. Whether you’re at your best in the early morning or more energized when you get home from work, your study schedule can be personalized to accommodate your lifestyle and responsibilities.

Results

Feel confident knowing you’re learning real-world skills.

Will employers recognize your skills? Employers look for candidates who measure up to the demands of today’s diverse classroom environments. WGU maintains close ties to established education leaders, and we incorporate their firsthand perspective into our industry-relevant curriculum.

Finish courses by proving what you know, as soon as you’re ready.

With competency-based education at WGU, success is measured by actual learning, not class time. You advance by demonstrating that you've mastered the course subject matter—whether you learned it through your study at WGU or picked up that knowledge through years of work experience.

Your progress through a course is driven by you.

How quickly you learn

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The time you devote to studying

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How much previous knowledge you bring

See it in action.

Play the game to see how a competency-based course works at WGU.

competency, noun

Demonstrated knowledge, skill, or ability required to advance in a degree program.

At WGU, course competencies are defined by an expert council, including employers.

For this course, there are 3 areas you need to prove competency in.

Start

First, let's take a pre‑assessment.

Determine what you already know from previous work and education experience, and where you need to focus your studies. Prove your competency in 3 areas in this exercise.

Result:

Your experience pays at WGU.

A master’s in teaching physics paves the way for current teachers to take to the next step.

If you're a licensed classroom teacher with a passion for explaining the workings of the physical world, you are ready to advance in your career by specializing in middle school or high school physics.

School districts in the United States consistently rank physics as their areas of highest need. Obtaining the M.A. in Science Education (Secondary Physics) degree will prepare you for secondary certification to teach kids the crucial subject of physics.

6%

Elementary and middle school teaching positions are expected to increase by at least 6% from 2014–2024. With the crisis-level shortage of STEM teachers in America, that increase could be substantially higher for science teachers.

—U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

WGU has alumni teaching across the country.

Graduates of WGU's online Teachers College have found meaningful, rewarding teaching careers in classrooms at:

Explore a career in physics education.

WGU is a university committed to producing successful grads.

The ultimate test of your degree's value is whether it helps you become an outstanding employee and advance your career. Our happy grads—and their happy employers—confirm that WGU is the path to that kind of degree.

Happy employers

Happy grads

They're Prepared.

Employers said that WGU graduates were prepared for their jobs.

They Perform.

Employers rated WGU graduates' job performance as very good or excellent.

They Wow.

Employers said their WGU graduates have exceeded their expectations.

They're Confident.

Graduates said the majority of their coursework was related to their jobs.

Your Enrollment Counselor is there to help you make an informed decision.

The first step toward change can be the hardest—we get it. Your "welcoming committee" at WGU is made up of Enrollment Counselors, Admissions Specialists, and faculty members. Your initial interactions at WGU will be guided by an Enrollment Counselor who specializes in the programs you're interested in.
Your Enrollment Counselor is ready with as much help as you may need:

WGU seeks to admit individuals who have the capacity and determination to complete a rigorous WGU degree program … and graduate. The admission process is designed to help you and the university reach an informed decision about your likelihood of success.
At WGU we want you to graduate, not just enroll. Consequently, not every applicant is admitted because not every individual is a good fit for WGU’s programs and competency-based, online academic model.

Common questions for the MA Math Education program.

I am currently a high school science teacher, can I enroll in the MA Science Education?

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Our MA Science Education program is designed for licensed teachers who want to expand their abilities by adding a Science endorsement. If you are already licensed to teach one Science speciality, you may still be able to add skills and an endorsement through this program by studying a new are of Science that you aren't currently licensed to teach.

Is there a practicum requirement for this program?

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There will be a small practicum in the capstone for the degree. You will be teaching a multi-week lesson plan to a body of at least 10 students. This lesson plan usually consists of about 10 hours of in-class time.

WGU is school on your terms.

School can fit into your life—start working toward your better future now.